Observations of Mars and its satellites by the Mars Imaging Camera (MIC) on Planet-B

• Mukai Tadashi

  The Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University

• Akabane Tokuhide

  Hida Observatory, Kyoto University

• Hashimoto Tatsuaki

  Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

• Ishimoto Hiroshi

  The Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University

• Sasaki Sho

  Geological Institute, University of Tokyo

• Inada Ai

  The Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University

• Toigo Anthony

  Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology

• Nakamura Masato

  Space and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo

• Abe Yutaka

  Space and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo

• Kurita Kei

  Space and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo

• Imamura Takeshi

  Space and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo

Abstract

We present the specifications of the Mars Imaging Camera (MIC) on the Planet-B spin-stabilized spacecraft, and key scientific objectives of MIC observations. A non-sun-synchronous orbit of Planet-B with a large eccentricity of about 0.87 around Mars provides the opportunities (1) to observe the same region of Mars at various times of day and various solar phase angles with spatial resolution of about 60 m from a distance of 150 km altitude (at periapsis), and (2) to monitor changes of global atmospheric conditions on Mars near an apoapsis of 15 Mars radii. In addition, (3) several encounters of Planet-B with each of the two Martian satellites are scheduled during the mission lifetime of two years from October 1999 to observe their shapes and surface structures with three color filters, centered on 450, 550, and 650 nm. (4) A search for hypothetical dust rings along the orbits of two satellites will be tried from the forward-scattering region of sunlight.

Journal

• Earth, Planets and Space

  Earth, Planets and Space 50 (3), 183-188, 1998

  Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, The Seismological Society of Japan, The Volcanological Society of Japan , The Geodetic Society of Japan , The Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences

Keywords

• Space and Planetary Science
• Geology

Details

• CRID: 1390001206510964992
• NII Article ID: 10002205989
• NII Article ID: 130003780698
• NII Book ID: AA11211921
• DOI: 10.1186/bf03352101
• ISSN: 18805981
• ISSN: 13438832
• Web Site: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/BF03352101.pdf
• Web Site: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/BF03352101/fulltext.html
• Web Site: http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/BF03352101
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed